Radiation and life (1): Sunlight and Cancer

Gap-fill exercise

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There are over 6000 recorded cases of skin cancer in the UK each year. Skin cancer is a that is taken when people expose themselves to . Skin cancer is a result of a change in the skin cells that make the pigment . Other dangers with exposure to sunlight are eye . Australia has a greater number of new cases of skin cancer each year. However, the percentage of people dying of skin cancer is much less than in the UK. This can be attributed to a number of factors. This includes wearing of protective clothing including T-shirts, wearing a wide , and using a with a high Sun Protection Factor. It is also wise to stay in the shade when the sunlight is most , between 11 am and 3 pm. Other sensible advice is to report to your immediately you detect any unusual growths or blemishes on your skin.

Sun Protection Factor of indicates that you should be able to stay 30 times longer in the sun that without any protection. The average time of exposure before the skin starts to burn is 10 minutes. However, other factors can increase the risk such as factors such as skin with lots lof moles, fair skin, freckles, skin that burns easily, and skin that has been burned in recent years. Other factors which affect the level of exposure are altitude, latitude, and time of day. The of ultraviolet from the ground and buildings can vary considerably. Snow can reflect as much as 80% of ultraviolet light. Australians are often reminded of the Sun Safe message, which states : Slip on a , Slap on a , and Slop on !

Hiking Trails near Tucson, Arizona, USA

The American Cancer Society has estimated that over 55,000 new cases of m will occur in the United States this year. Approximately 8000 people will die of skin cancer. Arizona has the highest skin cancer rate in the USA and is second in the world behind . Tucson, Arizona has a very high number of skin cancers each year. This can be attributed to the high and long days of high intensity sunlight. There are only a few days when clouds reduce the s of the sunlight.

Is there any benefit from sunlight? Yes, as long as people are sensible and make suitable precautions against over exposure. Vitamin D is made in the skin as a result of a reaction with sunlight. There is some evidence that in addition to the natural benefits of vitamin D for your body, it also helps to prevent cancerous growths in a number of organs in the body, such as breasts and colon. Many people are known to suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, during the months. They often feel tired and during these months. Exposure to light can help to alleviate this disorder, also abbreviated as .

Recent research suggests that there could be a between the use of sunbeds and skin cancer. However, the evidence is far from conclusive. In order to do this research all the other factors which could give rise to skin cancer should be .